The Story of Brad and Donald Lang, Sr.

Floor Speech

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Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, ``diversity'' has become a bad word here in D.C., but diversity has never been a weakness. It has always been our greatest strength.

Without the calculations of Katherine Johnson, a Black mathematician at NASA, American astronauts may never have successfully returned from space.

Without the code talkers, Native Americans who turned their indigenous language into an unbreakable code, American soldiers may not have been victorious in the Second World War.

Without the bravery of the Tuskegee Airmen who courageously flew into battle abroad, despite facing discrimination at home, the freedom of all Americans might have been at risk.

Throughout this Nation's history, countless people have had to fight for their right to be included. My good friend Brad Lang, and his father, Donald, are powerful examples of that fight.

In 1942, Donald W. Lang, Sr., enlisted in the Army with dreams of becoming a pilot. Like many men at the time, Donald felt it was his duty to serve his country, but despite scoring well on the aptitude test, he, like many other qualified Black men, was forced to wait while White pilots were fast-tracked for training.

By the time he was accepted for pilot training at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1945, the Second World War was coming to a close.

While he never made it overseas, Mr. Lang rose to the rank of master sergeant at the Army Air Corps, received three medals for his service, and served directly under Colonel Noel Parrish, the commander of the Tuskegee program.

Mr. Lang didn't open up about his military service until his son, Brad, showed an interest in aviation in the 1970s. On Sundays after church, Donald would take his family to Newark Airport to watch flights take off and land. That is where Brad's fascination with airline flying began.

A decade later, he achieved what his father couldn't do. Brad earned his pilot's license in college before enrolling as the only Black student in Purdue University's aviation program. At a time when Black pilots were still rare, he became a captain for Delta Air Lines.

Through it all, he never forgot to pay homage to those who made his career in aviation possible. He volunteered with a Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron for 29 years to ensure that his father's legacy and that of the Tuskegee Airmen is preserved and shared.

In 2015, Brad participated in the arsenal of democracy flyover to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in Europe. He flew a P-51C Mustang ``Tuskegee Airmen'' over the Capitol in a tribute to our Nation's first Black military pilots.

He once said about his father: ``His experience at Tuskegee was a paramount experience for him in terms of directing his life after the military. He would always relate to the discipline and the moral integrity that was part of the esprit de corps that was at Tuskegee. . . . He was motivated to see other people like himself, motivated to aviate and also fight for the country. They all had that common core experience.''

Brad and his father, Donald's, story is an American story. It is a story of a father whose dreams were denied and a son who honored his legacy by breaking barriers of his own. It is a story of persistence, pride, and progress. Brad captured it best when he said: ``No matter what the circumstances that you are up against, it is possible to rise against adversity, just like the airmen did, and succeed in life.''

Their story is a reminder that American progress has also depended on those who persevered in the face of prejudice. Their story shows that diversity is not a threat nor a weakness. It is a competitive advantage. It is a source of national strength. It has driven innovation, expanded opportunity, and is a common theme throughout our shared American story.

In a time of rising division, these stories call upon us to remember who we are at our best: a nation that does not just tolerate differences but draws power from them.

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